Press Releases: 2013

“Today’s Supreme Court ruling is extremely disappointing. For many years, I and others have traveled with civil rights hero Rep. John Lewis to Selma, Alabama, to commemorate the historic 1965 march for voting rights and reflect on the need for the Voting Rights Act and its continued importance today.

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) participated in the third annual NOH8 On The Hill event, joining nearly 70 Members of Congress in posing for a portrait to show his support for marriage equality.

“I think [the market today] says a lot about uncertainty. We still have … a federal government, Congress of the United States, that is not giving certainty and confidence to the economy that we're going to be on a fiscally-sustainable, stable path, that we’re going to come to compromise, whatever the bills might be, whatever the policies might be, that we will overcome gridlock

"It has been 91 days since the House passed its budget, but Speaker Boehner has yet to follow regular order by appointing conferees. Only then can negotiations with the Senate on a final version begin in earnest. A budget conference is the best shot at reaching a compromise agreement on a big and balanced solution to our deficits that can replace the entire sequester and provide American families and businesses with the certainty they need.

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) announced today several changes to the official intranet for House Democratic staff, including a new staff directory, an expanded calendar, and an updated legislative correspondence library.

“Today, I was proud to witness Congress install a permanent tribute to a great American and great son of Maryland, Frederick Douglass. The statue dedicated in his honor – like Douglass, tall, poised, and carrying the moral weight of a survivor-turned-crusader for freedom and justice – will not only stand as a memorial to his courage and the unwavering strength of his character.

“I am deeply disappointed that Republicans once again spent time debating and voting on a bill to restrict women’s access to health care when they continue to block the consideration of bills that would invest in creating jobs and replace the sequester with a balanced alternative.

“Today’s ruling by the Supreme Court represents a victory for voters in Arizona and across the country who were under the very real threat of losing their right to register and cast a ballot because they lack certain forms of identification.

“In marking the fiftieth anniversary of the horrific murder of Medgar Evers, we recall the heroism of his fight against inequality and remember his important contributions to the Civil Rights Movement.

“Today, as we mark the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Equal Pay Act, let us take note of how far our nation has come in opening the doors of opportunity to women, while also recognizing the work that still lies ahead.

“It is clear from this morning’s employment report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that Congress must act to end the uncertainty caused by a lack of a clear direction in fiscal policy and made worse by sequestration.

“I was deeply saddened to learn of Sen. Lautenberg’s passing this morning. He was both a true statesman and a pragmatist who became the longest-serving senator in New Jersey’s history and had a record of reaching across the aisle to achieve results for the people of his state.